Explosive



f pasta- 3... 22, 1929.

UNITED STATES ALEXANDER GBUICK SHANK SCOTT, OF

'canmrr, WALES, ASSIGNOR 'ro m'Ex'co LIMITED, or LONDON, ENGLAND, ABRITISH COMPANY.

EXPLOSIVE.

: in Drawing. Application filed November 21,

This invention is for improvements in or relating to explosives andhasreference to the class comprising an oxygen-carrylng base in the form ofa compound (such as potasf sium chlorate) containing readily availableoxygen, and in admixture with this, a second component, known as thecombustible oft-he explosive, which forms with the base, an exasynthetic resin, forexample-a phenol-a1 deh de condensation product asa' continuous sur ace phase over the particles. This is insured byemploying a preformed synthetic resin which is incorporated'as such intothe explosivemixture.- In the mixing as herein- .after described theparticles-become coated with the resin which'being introduced as acontinuous phase, remains as such in coating the particles. would not bethe case if the resin were produced by a reaction taking place in themixture. a

It is found according to the present invention that not only do suchresins so applied effectively render the explosive water proof, but theyalso act as the required fuel, and in practice they assist in theproduction of all'explosiv avin a desimble g1a' In case it is desired toreduce the quantity oft synthetic. resin to be employed the basesubstance-can be impregnatg vilnaliquid andhardeningiiegake or sheet byapp fu l for example fuel' oil or paraffin oil. T Ids will be enclosedand retained by-the synthetic resin and an advantageous property ofthese'resins in this connection that they are not dissolved or softened.b

ordinary'mineral oils; neither is their a hesion to the base therebyinterferred with.

In some cases there may be al substantially non-volatile and explosivearomatic nitrobody in the synthetic resin for the purpose of 1925,Serial No. 70,689, and in Great Britain November 1924. V

modifying the explosive properties of the" composition.

The resin maybe liquid orplastic so that the resulting explosive isplastic, if desired. Alternatii'ely the resin coating may be anindurated synthetic resin, in which case the explosive is readilyproduced ingranular form. The coating ingredient may be the gel of asynthetic resin and a. substantially non-volatile andexplosive aromaticnitro-body for example a gel of a' phenol-formaldehyde resin andmono-nitro-toluene with or without other'nitro-bodies. The inventionincludes various methods of manufacture .as hereinafter described andclaimed.

-' Example I with a sufiicient quantityof the solid variety of thewell-known phenol formaldehyde con.

idensation product resin A dissolved in a volatile solvent, such ascommercial alcohol, to add 15 parts of the synthetic resin to the base.The agitation of the mixture is of such form as toresult in theproduction, under gentle application of heat (e.- g. ,F.) during theagitationofa mass of hard segregated grains consisting of the chloratecrystals orsmall agglomerates thereof coated with the synthetic resin. 1p Instead of producing the grains by a particular ln'nd of agitation inan incorporate? as above described, the mixture of chlorate crystals andresin may be rolled or otherwise formed intoa cake or; sheet and afterdrying lica- .tion of-heat, (e. g. up ,to'100 GI) -the'ma=i terial maybe dismtegr'ated to any desired. a

. Y The combustible of the explosive may consist solely of the syntheticresinvcoating on the chlorate crystals or it may comprise an additionalcomponent in the form'of a liquid "fuel, such as fuel oil orparafiinoil,in which event the liquid fuel may be applied to the this feature asapplied to a plastic explosive.

Ewample II. v

225' parts of crystalline mono-nitronaphthalene are dissolved in 3 partsof mono-nitro-toluene, if necessary, with the aid of gentle heat. Thetemperature during this operation may be about 70 F. To the resultingsolution, dinitrotoluene are gentle added and with further I thesolution. To the final nitro-bocly solution, 7 parts of thephenol-formaldehyde resin known as bakelite fol-mite resin A in thesolid state are added with continued gentle application of heat, and themixture is stirred until a homogeneous jelly of the nitro-bodies andresin results.

The aforesaid homogeneous mixture ofnitro-bodies and resin isincorporated with a mixture of 72.5 parts of potassium chlorate orperchlorate and 6 parts of dried woodmeal. The incorporation is effectedin a mechanical incorporator, the mixture of chlorate or perchloratecrystals and the woodmeal having been first placed in the incorporator.

The resulting plastic mixture may be introduced into cartridges in anyknown manner, for example by extrusion in cartridge form.

If the nitro-bod ornitro-bodies-be incorporated along wit the resin thesame may be either admixed with the base separately from the resin orformed into a liquid or lastic mixture with the resin (e. g. a plasticelly) and incorporated in this state into the v base.

By this latter means the coating on the crystals is a homogeneous resinand nitro-bodies.

It is to be noted that in the case of a plastic explosive the syntheticresin-alone will not sufliee as the combustible and some other body (e.g.

in conjunction with the resin to impart-to bustible of the explosive mayconsist solely of the hard synthetic resin. The example.

first given-is illustrative. of this fact.

It is found that'the size of grain may 9.25 parts of crystallineapplication of heat, are dissolved in mixture of a nitro-body) isnecessarythe requisite degree of detonatability. On'thev other hand, itis found in the case'of a grain powder that the com- Ewample VII.

The following is an example of an explosive wherein thesynthetie 'resinemployed 1s a thio-urea resin product salts, and other ingredients ofthe explosive, that may be made. Ewample III. Pub. Potassium chlorate95-70 Synthetic resin 5-30 Example IV.

Parts. Ammonium perchlorate 69-57 Synthetic resin 16-30 Manganesedioxide 15-13 Example V.

v 1 rim. Ammonium nitrate 95-70 Synthetic resin 5-30 Potassiumperchlorate, 5-20 Example V1.

Parts. Potassium nitrate -60 Sulphur 18-10 Manganese dioxide 5-2Synthetic resin 21-6 7 Parts, Potassium perchlorate 75 Potassium nitrate15 Thio-urea resin syrup containing 2% of water .5

Thio-urea resinsyrup containing 40% of water j As in the case of phenolformaldehyde condensation products, the urea and thiourea resins may beemployed in varying proportions.

he ureaandthio-urea resins may also be employed either alone or inconjunction with widelyc 7 other synthetic resins and with or without Iincorporation of 'nitro-bodies.

A small proportion of glycerin'e or castoroilmay be mixedwith any of theresins if desired as a softening agent.

It has been found that .a combustible consisting of a mixture'ofsynthetic resin and a substantially temperatures, or, temperatures, byportions in which the componentparts of non-volatile and explosive.aromatic nitro-body or nitro-bodies can be I produced which is-plasticor li uid at normal when desire at very low suitably varying the pro- Vthe product of the first'stages. of condensation. This product may beeither liquid pasty or solid, but in either form it is readilyutilizable for the pasty form can be rendered liquid by the addition ofavolatile, solvent such as commercial-alcohol, and the solid variety canbereadily dissolved in commercial alcohol and acetone for example, or itmay be dissolved in certain liquid ,or liquefied nitro-bodies. i

During the heating of the resin, the resin passes from theinitial-product A-stage to the next stage in the-condensation whichr'esultsin product B, and ifheating be continued (although it is notgenerally neces' sary to harden beyond the product B stage), throughthis stage to the final product C stage.

However, the heating may be controlled so as to obtain any intermediatedegree of hardness desired. I

' to one hour.

Generally, for hardening the grain powder, a temperature of about 70 C.is employed and duration of heating is from half an hour 70- (3.,however... For example, it may be any temperature between 70C. and100G-., m which event'the duration of heating will I lly be less.

In addition to the substances already mentioned sodium chlorate,"perchlorate or nitrate may be used as the body having rea'dilyavallable' oxygen.

- resin constituting I cla1m: I v 1. ;An explosive of the type describedthe particles or particle-aggregates of which are isolated from each.other bya synthetic "a' continuous phase between the particles. i

2. An explosive of the type described the particles or particle-agregates offwhich are isolated from each 0t er by a phenol aldehydecondensation product constituting a contmuous phase between theparticles.

3. An explosive of thetype described the particles orparticle-aggregates of which are coated with a synthetic resincontaining a I substantially non-volatile and explosive aromatic nitrobody for the purpose of composition.

4. An explosive of the type described the particles or. particleaggregates of which are 'modifying the explosive properties of thecoated with a phenol aldehyde condensation product containing asubstantially non-volatile and explosive aromatic nitro body for thepurpose of modifying the explosive the kind described, coating theparticles or properties of the composition.

The temperature may exceed 5. An explosive of the typedescribed theparticles or particle-aggregates of which are coated with a syntheticresin as a continuous surface phase overthe .particles which resin issufiiciently yielding to render the explo sive deformable undermanual-pressure.

6. An explosive ofthe type described the particles orparticle-aggregates oft-which are coated with a phenol aldehydecondensation product as a continuous surface phase over the particleswhich resin is sufliciently yieldder manual pressure.

7. An explosive of the type described the particles or particle-agregates of which-are coated with a synthetic resin containing asubstantially non-volatile and explosive aromatic nitro-body for thepurpose of modifying the. explosive properties of the COIIl positionsaid resin and nitro-body constituting a sufliciently yielding coatingto render the explosive deformable undermanual pressure.

8. An explosive of the type described the particles orparticle-aggregates of which are coated with 'a'syntheticresincontaining a substantially non-volatile and explosive aromaticnitro-body for the purpose of modifying the explosive properties of thecom-.

position said product and nitro-body constituting a sufiicientlyyielding coating to render the explosive deformable undermanualpressure.

- 9. Anexplosiveofthe type described the v ing to render the explosivedeformable un-' substantially non-volatile and explosive aroj maticnitro-body.

11. An explosive of the type -described the, particles orparticle-aggregates of which are coated with a gel ofa phenol aldehydecondensation product with a substantially" nonvolatile and explosivearomatic nitro-body. 12. An explosive of the. type described theparticles or particle-aggregates of which are coated with a gel of .aphenol-formaldehyde resin with mononitrotoluene.

13. An explosive of the type described the particles orparticle-aggregates of which are coated with a gel of ahenol-formaldehyde.

resin with mononitroto uene and other substantially non-volatileexplosive aromatic nitro-bodies. 14. In the manufacture of explosives ofthe-kinddescribed, coating the particles or particle-aggregates with asynthetic resinpreviously prepared as a resin in liquid state. 15. Inthe manufacture of explosives of particle-aggregates with a syntheticresin base, and thereafter solidifying the synpreviously repared asa-resin in liquid state thetic resin. and therea ter irreversiblycoagulating the 18. In the manufacture of explosives of synthetic resinfor the purpose described. the-kind described, coating the particles or25 5 16. A process for the manufacture of exparticle-aggregates with apre-formed liquid plosives which comprises roducing a liquidcondensation product of phenol and an aldeor plastic homogeneous amixture of a synhyde. thetic resin previously prepared as a resin in 19.A process for the manufacture of exliquid state and a substantiallynon-volatile plosives which comprises agitating. crystals 30 1 andexplosive aromatic nitro-body and inof a crystalline oxygen-carryingbody in corporating therewith a body containing powdered form with aphenol-aldehyde con: readily available oxygen. 1 densation product inliquid state, the agita-- v 17 A process for the manufacture of ex tionbeing continued until the mixture asplosives which comprises agitatingan sumes a homogeneous granular form in 35 15 oxygen-carrying'body ofthe kind described which the liquid is uniformly distributed in powderedform with a synthetic resin over the surfaces of the crystalline'powder,product previously prepared as a resin in and thereafter solidifying thephenol aldeliquid state, the agitation being continued hyde condensationproduct. until the mixture assumes a homogeneous In testimony whereofI'afiix my signature. 0 granular form in which the li uid is uniformlydistributed overthesur aces of the ALEX N E K A K TT-

